Archive for September 25, 2013

The Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation (SCMAF) will present “The Throw Down” skateboard contest on Saturday, Oct. 5, at La Habra Skate Park, which is located at Bonita Park, 1250 Fahringer Way. Check-in is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., followed by the first event at 2 p.m.

The event will feature three contests: Park jam, mini bowl and best trick. The fee is $20, which includes entry to all three contests. Each event will be judged with awards for top three in each age division, which will include under 10, under 14 and under 18.

Registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 1. Late registration and day-of-event registration will not be accepted. Register at www.active.com.

For more information, visit www.scmaf.org.

Be ‘Fit for Life’

Whittier’s 5K “Fit for Life” run/walk, presented by the Whittier Community Foundation and the Whittier Host Lions Club, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Whittier Community Center, 7630 Washington Ave.

The event will start with the “Children’s Creepy Crawly,” a timed half-mile dash, at 7:30 a.m., followed by the “Spooktacular,” the 5K run/walk, at 8 a.m.

For more information, call 562-567-9400.

Youth soccer is a kick

The city of Whittier’s “Lil All Star Soccer” program gives youngsters ages 3 to 6 an opportunity to learn about the fundamentals and rules of the game.

The Saturday program is scheduled to run from Oct. 12 to Nov. 2 at Michigan Park, 8228 Michigan Ave. The fee is $50 for residents and $55 for nonresidents.

Children ages 3 to 4 can sign up for either the 8:30 or 9:15 a.m. class. Youngsters ages 4 to 6 can register for either the 10:10 or 11 a.m. session.

The final week will be a scrimmage to imitate a game situation and children will receive an award.

Parents should bring a soccer ball and water, and must stay at park for the entire game.

For more information, call 562-567-9430 or visit www.WhittierRec.com.

Soccer for toddlers

Youngsters ages 18 months to 3 can register for the city of Whittier’s Soccer Starter: The beginning program.

Through the use of games and activities, children develop basic motor skills needed to play organized soccer. The program focuses on the foot-eye coordination needed to kick stationary and moving objects. Parents participate with their child to develop improved balance, strength and patience.

Two classes are offered at Whittier Community Center, 7630 Washington Ave.: 4 to 4:30 p.m., Thursdays, Oct. 24 to Nov. 21, and 9 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 29 to Nov. 26. The fee is $47 for residents and $52 for nonresidents.

For more information, call 562-567-9430 or visit www.WhittierRec.com.

Beginning skateboarding

Children ages 6 to 17 can register for a beginning skateboarding class that is scheduled from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturdays from Nov. 2 to 30, at Whittier Community Center, 7630 Washington Ave.

Participants must wear a helmet, elbow and knee pads, and bring their own skateboard. The fee is $107 for residents and $122 for nonresidents.

For more information, call 562-567-9430 or visit www.WhittierRec.com.

Youth wrestling

The city of Whittier offers a youth wrestling class for youngsters ages 5 to 18.

The Saturday program is slated from Nov. 9 to Dec. 14 at Whittier Community Center, 7630 Washington Ave. Children ages 5 to 12 will participate from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., followed by youngsters ages 13 to 18, who will wrestle from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The fee for both programs is $59 for residents and $69 for nonresidents.

For more information, call 562-567-9430 or visit www.WhittierRec.com.

Become a martial artist

The East Whittier YMCA Impact Martial Arts program offers several classes at 15740 Starbuck St. in Whittier.

Classes are available for all ages and levels of experience. Impact Martial Arts and Fitness is staffed by professional and experienced instructors who have dedicated their lives to sharing the power of martial arts with the community.

Instructors place strong emphasis on self-discipline and building self-esteem. They will teach how to use strength effectively, maintain cardiovascular fitness, improve flexibility and coordination, as well as tone the muscular system.

Attention photographers! How would you like to gain insight from one of the best photographers of our time … for free?

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 award-winning conservation photographer Ian Shive, whose work has graced the pages of National Geographic, Time, US News and World Report, Men’s Journal, and both the Los Angeles and New York Times, just to name a few, will be displaying some of his photographs as well as sharing his experiences as a professional photographer at the Whittwood Branch Library, 10537 Santa Gertrudes Ave.

Tickets are available free of charge at both the Central and Branch Library circulation desks. Copies of Shive’s best-selling book, The National Parks: Our American Landscape, will be available for sale.

Shive is the winner of the 2011 Sierra Club Ansel Adams Photography Award. His work has been published in countless magazines and newspapers and has also appeared on films, television, and exhibits around the globe.

Shive is also the founder and CEO of a photograph and motion clip licensing agency called Tandem Stills + Motion, which represents more than 300 photographers worldwide. His work as an environmental advocate, specifically through his Wilderness Diplomacy Initiative, which is currently proceeding in Afghanistan, is said to have helped shape diplomacy efforts in many parts of the world. In his spare time Shive is an instructor of photojournalism at USC.

Prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest-growing drug problem and has been classified as an epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The news has had a number of recent stories about prescription drug misuse and abuse. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that nearly one-third of people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time in 2009 began by using a prescription drug non-medically. Often, they believe that these substances are safer than illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a healthcare professional and dispensed by a pharmacist.

However, in L.A. County in 2009, there were more than 650 prescription/over-the-counter (OTC) drug-related deaths, more than 3,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 emergency department visits for prescription/OTC drug overdose.

Prescription drugs are used inappropriately when they are (1) taken on a schedule or dosage that is different from prescribed; (2) shared by another person; (3) taken without a prescription; and (4) taken in combination with other drugs or substances such as alcohol. Often, people obtain pain relievers from a friend or relative.

Some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs include opiates such as codeine or oxycodone; stimulants such as ritalin or provigil; and sedatives such as ativan, klonopin, lunesta, or robaxin. All these types of drugs have powerful effects on the body’s nervous system and brain. They should be monitored by a doctor very carefully and taken only for limited periods of time in relation to specific symptoms.

Otherwise, psychological and/or physical dependence can develop. The person then becomes motivated to seek out the drug, irrespective of their medical issues, and often without realizing what they are doing.

The Office of National Drug Control and Prevention published a plan for preventing prescription drug abuse in 2011. It includes education for parents, youths and patients about the dangers and risks of abusing prescription drugs. A drug use screening can be useful to determine if someone is developing a reliance on prescription drugs.

If you are interested in more information or would like to schedule a screening for yourself, a family member, or friend, please call (562) 906-2676 and talk with a counselor at Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (L.A. CADA) today. You may visit our website for more information at www. lacada.com.

September is National Recovery Month, a time when we can celebrate those in recovery from substance use disorders and educate ourselves to help prevent substance abuse.

Brenda Wiewel, L.C.S.W., is executive director of the Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse. She can be reached at 562-906-2686, ext. 103 or by e-mail at bwiewel@lacada.com

WHITTIER – The dog days of fall are coming to Whittier.
Bring your best four-legged friends to the Palm Park trailhead, 5703 Palm Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013 and attend the popular “Paws 4 a Cause” fundraiser aimed to help establish a dog park in Whittier.
“Paws 4 a Cause,” a subcommittee of the Whittier Community Foundation, is a nonprofit organization supporting programs benefitting Whittier. This year’s event will raise money to add amenities to a pending Dog Park.
Enjoy a canine 3-K walk/run, a “Mini-Mutt March” shorter run for smaller and/or older dogs, a Dog Fashion Show, an obstacle course, photos with Officer McGruff, the crime dog, and demonstrations from police K-9 groups. A pet faire will showcase pet adoption groups and other nonprofit animal services and pet vendors.
There is a $15 fee to participate in all activities with additional canines costing $5 each. Dogs must be leashed, under control and have all necessary immunizations.
For information, call Jeff Lopez at 562-567-9400 or contact him at jlopez@cityofwhittier.org

WHITTIER – Mongolian pastor Khongorzul will address the Plymouth Church community about what the Lord is doing in her country at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22,2013. Khongorzul and her husband, Enkhe, are missionaries supported by Plymouth.
The relationship is a long one. Khongorzul attended Plymouth when she was working on her master’s degree at Biola University. She is in town specifically to visit friend Sandy Vinatieri and to interact with other supporting churches.
All are invited to attend. For information contact Pastor Dan Pryor at 562-692-1228. The church is located at 12058 Beverly Blvd.

How many times have we said, or heard others say, “Manana. I’ll do it tomorrow.” Sometimes people put off doing today what they know or want to do because they don’t think they know enough or can perform well enough. The fact is, there is no “magic age” at which excellence emerges or quality surfaces.

Thomas Jefferson was 33 when he drafted the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin was 26 when he wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac. Charles Dickens was 24 when he began his Pickwick Papers and 25 when he wrote Oliver Twist. Isaac Newton was 24 when he formulated the law of gravitation.

A second danger is to think that creativity and invention belong to the young. This is equally untrue! Emmanuel Kant wrote his finest philosophical works at age 74. Verdi at 80 produced Falstaff and at 85, Ave Maria. Goethe was 80 when he completed Faust. Tennyson was 80 when he wrote Crossing the Bar and Michelangelo completed his greatest work at 87. At 90, Justice Holmes was still writing brilliant Supreme Court opinions. And yes, I started seminary at the ripe old age of 68.

Seize the day! Redeem the “now” moments of your life. The moment you wait for may never arrive. The moment once past will never return.

WHITTIER – After turning in its best season since 2007, Whittier College is expressing high hopes for its football program in 2013.

The Poets, who finished 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) last year, are seeking to take that next step.

“We did some good things last year,” Whittier College coach Todd Stratton said of the 2012 season. “It was up and down. We had the No. 4 offense in the nation but we were the most penalized team in America. We’re focusing on the fundamentals and eliminating mistakes and penalties.”

Sophomore quarterback Steven Rivera returns to guide the Poets’ offense. Last season as a freshman, Rivera threw for 1,893 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing 127 of 230 attempts.

The senior duo of running back Anthony Walker and wide receiver Matthew Asaro both figure to give Rivera a helping hand.

Walker led the Poets’ running attack last season with 779 yards, 13 touchdowns on 129 carries while Asaro, the team’s leading returning receiver, made 59 receptions for 569 yards and two scores.

Senior running back LaFelton Traxler, who ran for 105 yards on 33 carries, also returns.

Junior wide receiver Diante Jackson, who received a scholarship to Oregon coming out of high school, will look to make an impact for the Poets.

The Poets’ offensive line includes returning sophomore tackle Tony Jarjoura and the freshmen duo of tackle Mark Kozhaya and guard Christian Reveles.

Senior lineman Nathan Poole returns to anchor the Poets’ defense. Poole recorded 54 total tackles along with a team-leading five sacks last season.

Stratton expressed optimism about the team’s defensive backfield, which includes the junior trio of Josh Pride, Jontavius Timmons and Masson Blow.

“We addressed a need in the secondary,” Stratton said. “We brought in four junior college defensive backs who are absolutely fantastic.

“We’re talented and young,” Stratton said. “We feel like the program is going in a great direction and we’re excited about the season.”

The Poets opened their year Sept. 14 with a disappointing 38-17 defeat at Whitworth. Whittier College will seek to rebound Sept. 21 as it hosts Puget Sound in its 2013 home opener. The Poets will open SCIAC play Oct. 5 at Chapman.

Perhaps more than any other leader in the 20th century,
Winston Churchill rallied a nation to believe in what it could do.

His speeches during World War II not only express resolution, but a profound peace of mind and a feeling of “rightness.” Here are some of his words to England and the world:

“You ask what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and all the strength that God can give us. You ask, What is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory, at all cost, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be; we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

Get dialed in!

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